For a long time I have been fascinated by how the dramatic events in the lives of our biblical ancestors have striking parallels to events in contemporary life – from family jealousy and murder to mob rape and ethnic cleansing; from sexual obsession to enduring love. Everything that touches us deeply has an archetypal occurrence in the Bible. In these paintings, I have tried to make these connections visual. (http://janetshafner.com/) As an observant Jewish artist she has chosen Tanach, Midrash, Talmud and its commentaries as her inspiration and subject matter. In crafting her complex images she utilizes a talmudic visual paradigm offering midrashic and/or modern images as a kind of "counter text" that contrasts with her biblical depiction that forms the main visual "text" of most works. Many of her exegetical observations liberate the plain meaning of the narratives and thus assume startling contemporary meanings. ...Shafner sees the biblical in creative tension with contemporary thought. Shafner's use of this talmudic paradigm is inherently critical and analytical, producing a rare combination of visual excitement and intellectual stimulation that frequently explores subjects concerning women. While she is especially interested in women who take destiny into their own hands or whose role, even as victims, becomes pivotal, she is not a strident feminist and always creates art that delves into the manifold meanings of each subject. (http://richardmcbee.com/writings/contemporary-jewish-art/item/biblical-contentions-paintings-by-janet-shafner) Turning to the Torah for the original sources of human relationships, Janet Shafner engaged with moral issues, ethics, and the unremitting arc of life and death. The monumental scale of her work encompasses dramatic scenes and places biblical actors on a cosmic stage. (http://www2.huc.edu/external/email/11/08/shafner/) undefined

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